Birth Certificate in Georgia

What is a Birth Certificate in Georgia?

A birth certificate in Georgia is an official document confirming a person’s birth, including their name, surname, date, and place of birth, as well as details of the parents. This document is issued by the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia through local branches of the House of Justice. The birth certificate serves as the primary legal confirmation of identity and citizenship, required for obtaining a passport, ID card, and other administrative and legal purposes.

Original and Duplicate of the Birth Certificate

In Georgia, an original birth certificate is issued upon initial registration. In case of loss, damage, or the need to provide the document for various procedures abroad, parents or the document holder (if of legal age) may request a duplicate from the House of Justice.

Features of the Duplicate

• Duplicate has the same legal force as the original and contains the same information.
• The duplicate indicates that it is a reissued document along with the issuance date.
• The Georgian birth certificate duplicate also includes the surname and first name of the person born, as well as the names and surnames of the father and mother.
• ATTENTION! Georgian birth certificates do NOT include a middle name for the person born, nor for the father or mother.
• A duplicate may be needed for use abroad or for submission to multiple organizations simultaneously, as the original can be retained by the owner for other purposes.

How to Obtain a Birth Certificate or Its Duplicate?

A birth certificate (original or duplicate) can be obtained by personally visiting the House of Justice department at the place of birth or residence of the applicant. Or through our representative – by proxy. To obtain a duplicate, identity documents of the applicant are required, as well as, if necessary, proof of kinship.

Required Documents for Obtaining a Duplicate:

• ID card or passport of the applicant
• Documents proving kinship (if relatives request the duplicate)
• Application for duplicate issuance

What Does a Birth Certificate Look Like in Georgia?

The birth certificate in Georgia is issued in the Georgian state language and includes the following information:

• Full name of the child
• Date and place of birth
• Names and surnames of the parents
• Record number
• Date of birth registration
• Signature and seal of the authorized person

Information is provided solely in the Georgian language, which may cause challenges when using the certificate outside the country. The document specifies the number and name of the issuing authority, which is the House of Justice; however, the city is not directly indicated.

Features of Birth Certificate Issuance in Georgia

Note that the new version of the document lacks a seal. In Georgia, a digital signature is used. This document can be verified online using a QR code. Our agency can place a special rectangular wet stamp at the House of Justice.

How to Verify a Georgian Birth Certificate. Is Online Verification Possible?

Yes, the new Georgian birth certificate can be verified online. However, there is an important limitation: the document states that it will be available for online verification for one year from the issue date.

Therefore, if you need absolute validity of your birth certificate abroad, we recommend obtaining duplicates that are no older than one year (allowing a minimum one-month buffer).

A wet stamp with the issue date mentioned above may help. However, some foreign officials (for example, in Moldova) may be puzzled if they cannot find the document online.

Another way to secure yourself is by placing an Apostille stamp on this document.

Peculiarities of City Indication

In Georgian birth certificates, the place of issuance is indicated indirectly through the number and name of the authority — House of Justice responsible for issuing the document. Although the document is issued in a specific House of Justice branch, the city where this authority is located is not directly indicated. This feature of Georgian documents is unique and differs from the practices of other countries, where the specific city of issuance is usually noted.

Other Features

This stamp in the lower right corner often raises questions: what does it mean?

This means that the document is a physical copy only and cannot be used in electronic systems or digital verification. For example, this stamp may limit the document’s use in online procedures or databases that require an original or a specific digital format.

In other words, it is a physical copy. There is also an electronic version in the database, which does not have the above wet stamp but is confirmed solely by a digital signature.

The electronic certificate version that you will see on the House of Justice website when checking the document online looks as follows:

Possible Collisions and Difficulties in Usage

The absence of direct city indication and the peculiarities of the Georgian language may cause administrative and legal issues when using the Georgian birth certificate abroad. Key potential collisions include:

1. Translation and adaptation difficulties for international use
   When translating the certificate into foreign languages, it may be necessary to specify the place of issuance. The absence of this information may raise questions from verifying authorities abroad, especially in countries that require city indication.
2. Variation in transliteration of Georgian names
   Since the Georgian alphabet has no direct analogs in Latin or Cyrillic, names and surnames may be transliterated differently depending on the system used. This may lead to discrepancies in documents like passports and birth certificates, making verification challenging abroad. For instance, the name “გიორგი” might be written as “Giorgi” or “Giorgy”.
3. Absence of capital letters
   The Georgian language lacks capital letters, which may also cause issues when verifying documents in countries that mandate uppercase formatting.

Recommendations for Minimizing Risks

To avoid difficulties when using Georgian birth certificates abroad, the following steps are recommended:

• Prepare a notarized translation with an explanation that in Georgia, the city of issuance is indirectly specified through the number and name of the authority, not directly.
• Obtain an apostille on the birth certificate to confirm the document’s authenticity in countries that are part of the Hague Convention.
• Attach a certificate from the House of Justice confirming the place of issuance, simplifying verification in countries where city indication is required.
• Use a duplicate if the original document needs to be retained for personal purposes.

These measures will help confirm the authenticity of the Georgian birth certificate and ensure its legal force outside Georgia, regardless of the formatting and data specifications in the document.

Obtaining a Georgian Birth Certificate for Moldova

For submitting Georgian birth certificates in Moldova, only certificates issued on the new format blanks are accepted.

In Moldova, a translation into Romanian (Moldovan) is required. However, there are no translators from Georgian to Romanian (Moldovan) in Georgia. Therefore, it is advisable to translate it into English, considering pronunciation features and the requirements of the receiving authority. If you order such a Georgian birth certificate through us, we guarantee a quality translation that meets Moldovan and other countries’ rules and requirements. Upon receipt, considering all nuances, we will translate it into English in Georgia, and before submission in Moldova, we will translate it from English to Romanian. All subtleties of surname and name transliteration from Georgian to English and from English to Romanian will be taken into account.

Can I obtain a birth certificate or its duplicate by making a request through the Civil Registry Office or the Consulate of Georgia?

You can make a request through the Civil Registry Office (ASP or another relevant authority in other countries) or the Consulate, but you should understand the following risks:

1. If you request the document through the consulate, such a document cannot subsequently be apostilled or legalized through the consulates of third countries. The waiting time is between 3 to 6 months.
2. If you request the document through the Civil Registry Office in another country, we must inform you that Georgian authorities often do not respond to requests, and if they do respond, the waiting time can be from 6 months to 1.5 years.
3. Possible errors in spelling of names, surnames, and dates. In case of errors, you will receive your document, for example, in Moldova, and you will not be able to influence the process of timely correction. Our lawyers in Georgia can check the document, send you a photo, and work with you to find a solution for correcting errors on-site. Correcting errors after receiving the document is a very challenging task, leading to red tape and loss of time. Sometimes, such post-facto corrections are simply impossible.